Keep Up To Date With Southern Sun Bloemfontein

New appointment Tsogo Sun - Southern Sun Bloemfontein new GM, Andrew Lee
 

Andrew Lee has been appointed as the General Manager of Southern Sun Bloemfontein. 

Andrew moves across from Southern Sun Elangeni & Maharani where he was the Complex Rooms Division Manager.  The Southern Sun Elangeni & Maharani, one of the renowned properties in Tsogo Sun’s portfolio on the Durban Golden Mile, is a well-known landmark on the Durban beachfront.

Andrew has been with Tsogo Sun Hotels since 2006 when he was employed as part of the opening team at Suncoast Hotel & Towers, the first new hotel to be built on the famous “Golden Mile” in Durban in over thirty years. During his time at Suncoast Hotel & Towers, the hotel became renowned for its world class service and award winning people lead by a dynamic team of management despite various challenges faced during opening. Broadening his experience within the Tsogo Sun group, Andrew joined Garden Court OR Tambo as Assistant General Manager in May 2010. Moving to Garden Court Sandton City in Feb 2012, Andrew was involved with the R80mil refurbishment of all 444 bedrooms, completed end April 2013. Andrew moved on to becoming Deputy General Manager at Southern Sun Montecasino and led a successful team before returning to Durban to head up the complex rooms division team at Southern Sun Elangeni & Maharani, currently the largest hotel property in the Tsogo Sun group.

Whilst with the Garden Court brand, Andrew completed the Southern Sun Manager of Business Unit at the Gordon Institute of Business Science with Distinction. Garden Court Sandton City was also judged a finalist in the Imvelo Responsible Tourism awards for Best single resource management programme at the 2012 Responsible Tourism Awards. He has well rounded experience in all departments of the hotel industry and has gained operational knowledge in several international hotels & organizations including Disney Cruise Line and the well-known Five Star Royal Livingstone in Zambia. He adapts well within various brands and has extensive experience in Three, Four and Five star service hotels.

Andrew has a hands-on leadership style and gets actively involved in the development and succession planning of people within the organization thereby ensuring availability of trained and competent leaders through the ranks, especially in the Rooms Division. He has excellent talent identification skills and takes a personal interest in the development of talented people showing a desire to grow within the organization.

Highly driven and energetic, he reaches decisions quickly and can channel stress effectively. Andrew has an excellent record in achieving results, and has achieved an average of 94% in external financial audits at Suncoast Hotel & Towers. Garden Court Sandton City, Southern Sun Montecasino and Southern Sun Elangeni & Maharani completed full financial and policy audits through PriceWaterhouseCoopers successfully. An effective and adaptable manager, he focuses on rapid results and his assertive and motivated nature helps him to achieve these. His strengths are his efficiency, objectivity, self – motivation and accuracy. He is quite forthright and direct but this demonstrates his hands on self – starting approach.

Tuesday, 12 September 2023 – Southern Sun proudly announces two additional ‘Sunpet’ friendly hotels, with the conversion of Southern Sun Katherine Street, Sandton and Southern Sun Bloemfontein, both of which have opened their doors to welcome pets.

Recognising the bond between hotel guests and their four-legged companions, Southern Sun Katherine Street takes the lead in offering pet-friendly accommodation in the heart of Sandton. General manager Bilal Essop and his dedicated team eagerly await the arrival of guests accompanied by their pets. “Understanding that pets are often cherished family members, we believe that they shouldn’t have to be separated while traveling,” says Essop. “We want our guests to enjoy their time in Sandton, whether they’re here for business or pleasure, and we hope that this new addition to our offerings will make their stay with us even more enjoyable.”

Joel Stols, Southern Sun Bloemfontein’s General manager added, “By extending our warm welcome to guests travelling with their pets, we’re ensuring that no one is left behind when it comes to creating lasting memories. Our new pet-friendly rooms represent another step in redefining the way we approach hospitality, and we can’t wait to see the joyful moments that unfold as our guests enjoy unforgettable stays together with their pets.”

To ensure the utmost comfort and convenience for both guests and their pets, carefully selected rooms within each hotel underwent a pet-friendly conversion, and now feature hygienic vinyl flooring and a comfortable Sealy Posturepedic pet bed, together with a range of convenient Sunpet amenities to make pets comfortable during their stay. In addition to the comfortable accommodation, guests can also dine with their pets at the hotels, which offer a Sunpet Gourmet Menu, serving a variety of nutritious and delicious individually packaged dishes made with real ingredients.

In addition to the rooms, amenities and conveniences being offered, the selection of the Sunpet hotels themselves has also received careful consideration. Southern Sun’s general manager of corporate affairs, brands & marketing, Candy Tothill explains, “In addition to its garden rooms, we chose Southern Sun Bloemfontein so that guests en route to or from our existing Sunpet hotel in Cape Town – SunSquare Cape Town Gardens – could also enjoy overnighting with their pets at another one of our trusted hotel brands during their journey. Southern Sun Katherine Street is set in beautiful gardens and neighbouring a pretty park, it could not be more perfectly suited to welcome Sunpets, so we chose to also extend our signature hospitality to pets travelling in style in Sandton.”

For those seeking to enjoy the Sunpet experience, pet-friendly rooms are available at an additional surcharge of R250 per room per night, with a one-time non-refundable payment of R500 per stay. As part of their warm welcome, Sunpets receive a treat upon arrival. Along with pet bedding for the ultimate sleep experience, during their stay, pets also have access to a selection of bowls, mats, toys, and other treats and conveniences to ensure a memorable visit.

Southern Sun Katherine Street and Southern Sun Bloemfontein are proud to incorporate the joys of pet-friendly hospitality and invite guests to discover the comfort, warmth, and genuine care of a truly pet-friendly experience.

Visit https://www.southernsun.com/sunpet to learn more.